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Jacobson’s Ouster from Disney is Talk of the Town

After more than six years as head of production at Disney Studios, Nina Jacobson was unexpectedly given her walking papers this week. Jacobson, one of the most powerful lesbians in the movie industry, got the news the same day as her partner gave birth to their third child.

The executive behind such hits as “Signs,” “Remember the Titans,” “The Princess Diaries,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and “Sweet Home Alabama” was dealt out of the picture during a major re-orgainization that includes the elimination of 650 jobs at the studio. She had two years remaining on her contract and turned down a production deal offered to her by studio head Dick Cook.

Jacobson is to be replaced by Oren Aviv, the studio’s marketing whiz who also produced the smash “National Treasure.” I had my first lunch ever on the studio lot six years ago with Jacobson when I arrived at The Hollywood Reporter to cover Disney and a few other studios. Very pregnant and eating a cheeseburger and fries, she was gracious then and was gracious again this week after her firing.

She not only wanted to be sure that Cook was not blamed for the timing of her finding out, she also released the following statement:
“The studio is undergoing a major reorganization, and there simply isn’t room for everyone in the new structure. I love the company and it has been a great honor to be part of building the Walt Disney brand. I’ve had the opportunity to work on films that I love, with filmmakers I admire and colleagues I adore. I’m sorry to go but I am proud of what I’ve left behind, a vibrant movie studio with major franchises and thriving relationships with some of the most talented filmmakers in the world.”